The present invention relates to a laser imager which comprises a laser image forming apparatus for forming images on a photosensitive material by projecting a laser beam on the material, and an automatic developing apparatus for developing the images formed by the apparatus.
Generally, laser image forming apparatuses and automatic developing apparatuses have heretofore been used independently of each other. Recently, however, attempts are made to use the two apparatus in combination to form images with a laser beam and to automatically develop the resulting images in a continuous process.
Laser imagers comprising such a laser image forming apparatus and an automatic developing apparatus in combination have a problem. When the laser image forming process is initiated for a photosensitive sheet after the automatic developing process for the preceding photosensitive sheet has been completed, interference between the preceding sheet and the following sheet in the path of transport is unavoidable thereby contributing to a low printing efficiency.
Accordingly, it to desirable to start the image forming process for the following sheet upon the completion of the image forming process for the preceding sheet. Nevertheless, the leading end of the following sheet is likely to overtake the rear end of the preceding sheet before the rear end of the preceding sheet is transferred from the laser image forming apparatus to the automatic developing apparatus since the latter apparatus operates at a lower sheet transport speed than does the former. The problem of overlapping could therefore occur during transport.
Although photosensitive sheets are transported usually at a definite speed within the laser image forming apparatus, it is desirable that the sheet transport speed in the automatic developing apparatus be variable according to the developing conditions. It is therefore desirable to achieve the highest possible printing efficiency in conformity with the transport speed without allowing the following sheet to interfere with the preceding sheet in the path of transport.